From 1972 to 1973, Hagen enrolled in the crash-course performance program at The Central Studio for Light Music in East Berlin. Upon graduation, she joined the band Automobil (picture), which released a well-received album in Germany, including her first hit "Du hast den Farbfilm vergessen" in 1974.
After a concert for a West German labour union in 1976 her stepfather, Wolf Biermann, was forbidden to return to the GDR. Because of their protests against it her mother, Eva-Maria Hagen and Nina were thrown out of GDR in 1977, and followed Biermann to his hometown Hamburg.
Nina subsequently met West-Berlin photographer Jim Rakete (who also produced some bands he shot the cover-photos for - like "Nena" some years later). He brought Nina together with the politically left-wing band "Lokomotive Kreuzberg" (later known as "Spliff"): thus the "Nina Hagen Band" was born.
In 1978 The Nina Hagen Band released their self-titled debut album, which included titles like "TV-Glotzer" (a cover of "White Punks on Dope" by The Tubes) and "Auf'm Bahnhof Zoo".
According to reviewer Fritz Rumler, she thrusts herself into the music, aggressively, directly, furiously, roars in the most beautiful operatic alto, then, through shrieks and squeals, precipitates herself into luminous soprano heights... she parodies, satirises, and howls on stage like a dervish.
Nina Hagen's eccentricity led to big disputes in the band and during a subsequent European tour Hagen decided to leave the band, though she was still under contract to produce a second album in 1979. This LP, Unbehagen (in addition to the obvious pun on her name, in German this also means 'discomfort' or 'unease'), was eventually produced with the band recording their tracks in Berlin and Hagen recording the vocals in Los Angeles, California. It included the single "African Reggae"/"Wir leben immer... noch" (a cover of Lene Lovich's "Lucky Number"). The headless Nina Hagen Band soon developed a successful independent musical career as Spliff.
Meanwhile, Hagen's public persona was steadily creating an increasing media uproar and she became infamous for an appearance on an Austrian talk show called Club 2, in which she performed an explicit simulation of masturbation. She also acted with Dutch sex-drugs-and-rock-'n'-roll legend Herman Brood in the movie Cha Cha, along with Lene Lovich and various Dutch bands.
An European tour with a new band in 1980 was cancelled, she had a love affair with a 16 year old punk from Amsterdam called Noddy (www.noddyriot.co.uk) and sang a RHCP rapduet with him at the OneWorldPoetry festival at the MilkyWay and lived with him in New York and in the Bahamas.
In 1982 her first solo album NunSexMonkRock, a dissonant mix of punk, funk and opera, was a minor hit, and led to a world tour with the No Problem Orchestra.
In 1983 came the album Angstlos and a minor European tour. By this time, Hagen's public appearances were becoming even stranger; over the years they frequently included discussions of God, UFOs, her social and political beliefs, animal rights / vivisection and claims of alien sightings. The English version of Angstlos, 'Fearless', generated two major club hits in America , "Zarah" and the disco/punk/opera classic, "New York New York".
1985's 'Nina Hagen In Ekstasy' fared less well, but it did generate club hits with "Universal Radio" and a cover of "Spirit In The Sky", and it also featured her hardcore punk take on Frank Sinatra's "My Way", which had been one of her signature live tunes in previous years. Her contract with CBS over, she released the Punk Wedding EP independently in 1987, a celebration of her marriage to an 18-year old punk. It followed an independent 1986 one-off single with Lene Lovich, the anthemic "Don't Kill The Animals".
In 1989 Hagen released the album Nina Hagen which was backed up by another German tour. Now living in Paris with her daughter Cosma Shiva, in 1991 she toured Europe in support of her new album Street.
In 1992 Hagen became the host of a TV show on RTLplus. The following year she released Revolution Ballroom and two years later the German-language album Freud Euch appeared, recorded in English as Beehappy in 1996. Also in 1996, Hagen collaborated with electronic music composer Christopher Franke on "Alchemy of Love", the theme song for the Tenchi Universe movie Tenchi Muyo! in Love.
In 1998, Hagen became the host of a weekly science fiction show on the British Sci-Fi-Channel, in addition to embarking on another tour of Germany. In 1999, she released the devotional album Om Namah Shivay, which was distributed exclusively online. She also sang "Witness" on KMFDM's Adios.
Nina has a strong interest in various religions, but that is mainly driven by her urge to build a better world and her own colorful freedom within it.
In 2000, her song Schön ist die Welt became the official song of Expo 2000. The album The Return of the Mother was released in February 2001, accompanied by another German tour.
Hagen dubbed the voice of Sally in the German release of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas and she also did some voice work in Hot Dogs by Michael Schoemann.
Hagen has been featured on many songs by other bands, for instance Oomph!'s song Fieber, a cover of Rammstein's "Seemann" with Apocalyptica and in 2008 appeared readily on psy-trance act S.U.N. Project's X Black Album, most notably on the fully vocal track We're In Space. She also sang the song "Garota de Berlim" with Brazilian singer Supla in her early years.
Her two children are Cosma Shiva and Otis.
URLs:
BEST archive for Nina Hagen pictures and stuff (regrettably just in German), incl. very old GDR pics like a beautiful one at the age of 18 and one shot by the "Stasi" (together with her stepfather Wolf Biermann - wiki)
Hold me
Nina Hagen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I may be right, and I may be wrong
Hold me master, please don't let me go
Yeah, hold me at night time, hold me by day
Sometimes I feel so far away
Hold me master, please don't let me go
And I don't know, I don't know
And sometimes lord you know I hurt beyond compare
I'm weak oh Lord
You make me strong, make me strong
Take me on up lord, where I belong, where I belong
But holy master, please don't let me go, don't let me go
I'm tempted here, and I'm tempted there
And I don't know, I don't know
And sometimes lord you know I hurt beyond compare
I'm weak oh Lord
You make me strong, make me strong
Take me on up lord, where I belong, where I belong
But holy master, please don't let me go, don't let me go
Yeah, hold me, hold me, hold me
Lord please, please go and hold me
Hold me master, and please don't let me go, don't let me go
Please, please don't let me go
C'mon and hold me
Hold me
Nina Hagen's "Hold Me" is a spiritual song which explores the singer's insecurities and fears, and her need for divine guidance in her life. The repetition of the plea for the Lord to hold the singer is striking, and can be understood as a symbol for the singer's need for comfort, assurance and protection, as well as for spiritual guidance.
The lyrics are very intense and emotional, and Nina's passionate delivery of the words adds an extra layer of depth and authenticity to the song. The verses describe the singer's sense of vulnerability and her struggle with temptation and doubt, as well as her need for the Lord's presence in her life to help her through the difficult times.
The chorus, which repeats the plea for the Lord to hold her, is an affirmation of the singer's faith and her recognition of the power of God to help her overcome her fears and insecurities. The song is a powerful expression of the human need for divine guidance and love, and Nina Hagen's interpretation of the lyrics is truly heartfelt and inspiring.
Line by Line Meaning
Hold me, hold me, hold me lord
Asking for comfort and protection from God
I may be right, and I may be wrong
Admitting uncertainty about one's actions and decisions
Hold me master, please don't let me go
Asking for guidance and support from a higher power
Yeah, hold me at night time, hold me by day
Desiring constant emotional support and security
Sometimes I feel so far away
Feeling disconnected or alone
I'm tempted here, and I'm tempted there
Struggling with temptations and distractions
And I don't know, I don't know
Expressing confusion and uncertainty
And sometimes lord you know I hurt beyond compare
Acknowledging emotional pain and seeking relief
I'm weak oh Lord
Admitting vulnerability and frailty
You make me strong, make me strong
Believing that God provides strength and resilience
Take me on up lord, where I belong, where I belong
Expressing a desire for spiritual elevation and fulfillment
But holy master, please don't let me go, don't let me go
Reiterating the plea for divine guidance and protection
Yeah, hold me, hold me, hold me
Emphasizing the need for physical and emotional reassurance
Lord please, please go and hold me
Continuing to seek comfort and support from God
Hold me master, and please don't let me go, don't let me go
Asking for sustained assistance and security
Please, please don't let me go
Imploring God to prevent abandonment or loss
C'mon and hold me
Urging God to take action and provide comfort
Hold me
Repeating the plea for physical and emotional support
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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